The Vazīr to him: “King, my hands and ears cut off; My nose and lips the same. Give orders; let them scoff. Unto the gallows send me; I’ll of all be seen. Then let an intercessor plead,--some prince,--your queen. Let all this happen where some spacious public place May let all see, that all may know of my disgrace. Then drive me forth; away from thee in exile sent; And they’ll receive me, under feint of sorrow bent. ‘In secret,’ I’ll pretend, ‘a Christian I’m at heart; Call God to witness how my faith has worked my hurt. 25 The King a knowledge gained of zeal in me that burned; Its flame to put out quite, his anger on me turned. I strove to hide my faith, my leaning to keep hid; Affected still to be, think, act, just as he bid. Suspicion crossed his mind; my secret he espied; All I could plead for nothing went; he said I lied. “Thy specious words,” quoth he, “are needles in a loaf;[82] My eye, as through a glass, sees all thy thoughts; thou oaf! No curtain of thy trickeries can veil thy faith from me; I’m proof against thy knaveries; thy cunning I can see.” 30 Were not the faith of Jesus the refuge of my heart, He’d not have mutilated me in this sad sort. For love of Jesus, head and life I will lay down; All persecution suffer to gain a martyr’s crown. My life I will not grudge to lose for Jesus’ sake. His faith I hold from point to point without mistake. I dread his doctrine’s fall to uninstructed guides. The truth from their bad teaching still to ruin glides. Thanks be to God, to Jesus thanks, who me have made A teacher perfect of the faith so free from shade. 35 The Jew and Judaism I have forsworn in sooth; About my loins the sacred cord[83] I wear; ’tis truth. This age the age of Jesus is; O men, give ear! His doctrine take to heart; nought else have you to fear.’” The Vazīr having laid this plot before the King, All shame and scruple vanished; ’twas a perfect thing. In presence of the public, nose, ears were cut off. The rabble wondered greatly; now’s the time to scoff. He fled unto the Christians; begged them him to hear; And straightway set up preaching; saintlike was he there. 40